Research On XML-based MIS Data Exchange Platform

Information island is a key issue of enterprise informatization. According to META Group reports, a typical large enterprise has 49 applications averagely. But these systems are mutual isolation and are hard to exchange data with each other. It results in duplicate data entry, information unshared, inefficiency and affect decision-making. In recent years, enterprise application integration becomes more urgent. However, due to large amounts of softwares to be integrated, different structures, and lack of standards, data integration is very difficult.This paper first analyses background, causes, and types, and characteristics of information island. It describes several levels of enterprise application integration: portal-level, data-level, business-process-level and application-level. When choosing EAI strategy, we must consider the specific needs of enterprises and their implementation budgets.Based on EAI strategy, data exchange platform -- DEP is designed and implementated. The platform uses XML as a data format, controles and coordinates data flow, implementates data from one system to another by defining a standard format data conversion rules and data conversion plug-business, achieves push-pull complicated two-way multi-source information integration.At last, DEP is applied in a real project. The practice shows that the XML-based data exchange platform is interoperable, scalable, and effective in resolving the problem of isolated islands of information.